Washibtg-machiete



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLOMON HUNT, OF DANVILLE, INDIANA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 29,791, dated August 28, 1860.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SOLOMON HUNT, of Danville, in the county of Hendricks and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this description, in which- Figure l, represents a vertical, middle, longitudinal section, taken through the machine showing the several parts in their relative position for effecting the washing. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

Therobject of this invention is to obtain a cheap and eiiicient machine by which the washing of large or small garments or fabrics of any description may be effected in a rapid and etlicient manner by compression instead of a rubbing action.

The invention to obtain these ends consists in a novel arrangement of pressing rollers and endless aprons that are arranged within a suitable box and acted upon by a weight as will be hereinafter described, so that the articles to be subjected to the washing operation will be alternately passed down into the water, contained in the box or tub, and subjected to pressure which will have the effect of' cleaning them with great rapidity.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings A represents a long box with a double inclined bottom B and inclined ends B', B. Near one end of this box and having its shaft-bearings in two arms C, C, is a large drum D which is rotated by a crank handle a. Near the opposite end of the box is a smaller drum D the shaft of which has its bearings in oblique slots in each side of the box A, so that this drum will be yielding to any upward pressure; around these drums D, D, passes the endless belt or band E which may be made of any suitable fabric such. for instance as stout sail cloth. Near the bottom of the box A are two transverse rollers I) b that leave slotted bearings in each side of the box A under both of which the belt E passes.

G is a roller that has an axle C passing through it which rests on the inclined arms C O. This roller passes through the endless band E as shown in the drawings.

H is a plate with hooked arms that is attached to the shaft of roller G and to this plate is attached a cord c which passes out through the end of the box A and carries a weight I on its end which weight keeps the band E under constant tension at the same time allowing the parts to adjust themselves properly.

J, J, are two drums having their bearings in each side of box A around one side and under each of which the belt E passes; the upper surfaces of these drums are about on a plane with the lower surfaces of the drums D, D. Over these two drums J, J, is tightly stretched an endless belt K which is set in motion with its rollers by the friction of the belt E on its outer surface.

The articles are now placed in this machine on the surface of apron or belt K. The box is supplied with water and soap and the drum D set in motion. The articles on the apron K will now be drawn down between the drums J and D where the articles will be compressed. They are then carried to the opposite end of the machine between the belts E and K through the water and between the drums J, D, where the water is squeezed or pressed out of them; they may now be drawn through the same operation again, and as often as is necessary to thoroughly cleanse them. Should the clothes be large the drums will yield and allow the clothes to pass between them, subjecting them at each. revolution to the water and two pressure drums, and taking them up out of the water, at each revolution of the belt, where they can be inspected or removed from the tub.

The inclined grooves in the sides of the box A in which the drums have their bearings retain the rollers in their relative positions and allow them to yield and accommodate themselves to the different sizes of articles to be washed in the tub.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*- The arrangement of the tension roller Gr, weight I, and rollers b, b, with the endless belts E, K, and drums D, D', and J, J- whereby one weight answers for producing friction or tension on all the belts and upon the clothes, as set forth.

SOLOMON HUNT.

Vitnesses:

J. K. MOORE, WM. N. DUNNINGTON. 

